What is the function of cytokines in the immune system?

What is the function of cytokines in the immune system?

• A. They are messengers that control inflammatory and immune responses.
• B. They are enzymes that digest pathogens.
• C. They form the structural framework of tissues.
• D. They regulate metabolic processes unrelated to immunity.

Answer: (A)

Cytokines are signaling proteins produced by immune cells that regulate inflammation and immune responses. They act as messengers, traveling to target cells and binding to specific receptors to trigger signaling pathways that alter gene expression and cell behavior. This coordinated communication controls the magnitude and duration of inflammation, directs the activation, differentiation, and recruitment of other immune cells, and links innate and adaptive immunity. They include interleukins, interferons, chemokines, and tumor necrosis factor. They are not enzymes that digest pathogens, nor structural components of tissues, nor regulators of unrelated metabolic processes.

Cytokines are signaling proteins produced by immune cells that regulate inflammation and immune responses. They act as messengers, traveling to target cells and binding to specific receptors to trigger signaling pathways that alter gene expression and cell behavior. This coordinated communication controls the magnitude and duration of inflammation, directs the activation, differentiation, and recruitment of other immune cells, and links innate and adaptive immunity. They include interleukins, interferons, chemokines, and tumor necrosis factor. They are not enzymes that digest pathogens, nor structural components of tissues, nor regulators of unrelated metabolic processes.